“Utililizing the cumulative bandwidth available to these IoT devices, one group of threat actors has been able to launch attacks as large as 400Gbps targeting gaming sites worldwide, Brazilian financial institutions, ISPs and government institutions.” Hackers have increasingly targeted IoT devices in recent years due to their relative lack of security compared to computers and smartphones. Earlier this year, a U.S. consumer watchdog launched an investigation into four baby monitor companies after dozens of devices were hacked.

Many security experts say that the fault often lies with the devices' manufacturers, who too often consider the security of a product as an afterthought. “The problem is that many Internet of Things devices are horribly broken security-wise because it costs money to ensure a reasonable standard of protection on a product,” Chris Boyd, an analyst at the security firm Malwarebytes, told in an interview earlier this year. “The fault like with the vulnerable products.”